U.S.-based semiconductor maker Micron Technology plans to raise its stake in a Taiwan joint venture.
Micron Technology will invest Tw$5.0 billion (US$169 million) in Inotera Memories, a venture with Taiwan's Nanya Technology Corp.
Analysts saw this move as a sign of new optimism in the global chip sector. "Prices in the chip industry are rebounding," said Edison Lee, a Taipei-based analyst with Grand Cathay Securities.
Following the deal, Micron's stake in Inotera will rise by approximately 10 percentage points to about 40%, making it the single biggest shareholder in the quoted joint venture.
Inotera reported a record net loss of Tw$21 billion last year on revenues of Tw$37.38 billion due to slumping prices and weak demand for memory chips.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2012
